Improvement in invalid-chairs



' V ZSheets-SheetZ. E. 0. SMITH & G. B. REILY.

INVALID-CHAIRS.

N O- 194,477. Patent ed Aug. 21,1877.

UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EBENEZER G. SMITH AND GEORGE B. REILY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN INVALID-CHAIR'S.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 194 ,477, dated August21, 1877; application filed April TA, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EBENEZER 0. SMITH and GEO. B. REILY, both of GrandRapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in AdjustableGhairs; and wedo herebydeclare that the following is afull, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and. to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is aside elevation. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation. Fig. 3 is a front view; andFig. 4 is a bottom plan.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

Our invention relates to that class of adjustable chairs generally knownas invalids chairs; and it consists in an improved construction andcombination of parts, whereby we'secure a high degree of adjustability,so that the chair may be used for a variety of purposes, and may beadjusted to any one of these without removing the occupant, substantially as hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in theclaims.

In the drawing, A is the front, and A the rear, legs, having casters a.B is aclosed box or closet, the top piece b of which forms the seat ofthe chair. On one side is a door, 11, giving access tothe interior. 0 isthe back, which is hinged at c c, and has a segmental ratchet, D,pivoted to its side pieces, as shown. 01 is arod, secured between thelegs A A above thebrace or cross-piece c, which fits into the notches fof ratchet D, so that the pitch of the back 0 may be adjusted at anyangle desired, by simply changing the position of ratchet D relative toits retainingrod 01.

The head-piece O of back 0 is detached, and fits into two mortises orrecesses made in the side pieces for its reception. The said side piecesare slotted at'g, and the headpiece may be raised or lowered in itsrelation to the back, of which it forms a part,

by means of lugs or ears h h, which are inserted through the slots 9,and may be kept in any given position by a pin or set-screw, i.

The foot-board consists of three separate parts-via, the rest or endpiece E, a middle piece, F, at right angles to the former, and aswinging piece, Gr, hinged to the middle piece F at It It. (See Fig. 4.)

The two pieces E and F are rigidly secured at the end of a metallicframe consisting of two slotted side pieces, H,"one arranged on eachside of the chair; and the hinged piece G may be retained in a positionflush with that of the piece F by a pivoted bracket, 1.

To the forward end of each arm or slide H is pivoted a slotted segment,I, which slides on a button, m, secured on the lower part of the sideframe of the chair. Each of the segments I has a series of notches, a,on the inner upper side of the slot, which engage with the shank or pinof the button m, so that the segment may be secured in any givenposition upon its button. Similarly, the slotted arms or guides H slideeach on a pin or button, o, and these arms may be retained in any givenposition by means of a notched keeper, 1), pivoted at the end of eacharm, and the notches of which fit over the shank of the pin or button 0.

On the top of the perforated cover b of the closed closet B is placed aremovable cushion, K, and the arms, back, head-rest, and footboards ofthe chair are suitably upholstered to meet the taste or requirements ofthe occupant for'whom it is intended to be used.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings,the manner of using our improved invalids chair, and the severalpositions to which it is capable of being adjusted, will be readilyunderstood. By

lowering the back and raising and extending the foot-boardsE,F, and G ona level with the seat, a bed or lounge is formed, and this adjustmentmay readily be made while the patient is occupying the chair. Byarranging a dumb-waiter or small table, L,in the front part of thechair, the occupant may read,

write, and take his meals without inconvenienoe, while the closed box orcloset B prevents the odor from any vessel placed within from spreadinginto the apartment.

Having thus described our invention, we claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States- 1. The combination of the slidingand slotted arms H H, notched and slotted segments I I,-buttons m0, andkeepers p o,whereby the foot-boards may be adjusted and retained in anygiven position, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and.described.

2. The combination of the hinged and ad- EBENEZER 0. SMITH. GEORGE B.REILY.

Witnesses E. O. STEVENS, GEO. G. WHITWOBTH.

